


Bad Blood

by ToPerceiveIsToBePerceptive



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adoribull - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Humor, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, M/M, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 09:30:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5661433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToPerceiveIsToBePerceptive/pseuds/ToPerceiveIsToBePerceptive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are worse things that can happen from singing in public.</p><p>This fic may have been written by a ghost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bad Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Okay, time to get working on all those prompts. Now which title are they under?  
> *Sees file called "Prompts"*  
> Me: This one?  
> *Clicks on it. Sees a finished fic that I have no memory of writing.*  
> Me: What. The. Hell...

Dorian didn’t even  _like_  Taylor Swift.

He didn’t hate her, like Sera did. Sera had no time for any musician who wasn’t a lead female vocalist of an obscure punk band. He just wasn’t a fan. He was on the verge of hating her, though. When Dorian was at work he always had the radio on in the background. He said it helped it concentrate, but in truth it was just another way to procrastinate. And nowadays Swift always seemed to be on the radio. Dorian found himself knowing the words to her songs, without knowing when he’d picked them up. It was getting infuriating.

So it made no sense that he would be sitting at the traffic lights and trying not to tear up at a Taylor Swift song.

_Band-aids don’t fix bullet-holes. You say sorry just for show._

This was all because of that bloody phone call from his father that morning. Dorian was trying to take the high-road. Trying to keep the channels open so that one day things could get back to the way they were.

_Oh it’s so sad to think about the good times. You and I._

But like always, their conversation had gone to shit. His father wanted to heal the rift too, but he didn’t seem to understand the magnitude of what he had tried to do. Every apology just ended up sounding like a justification. There had been yelling. Dorian had hung up. And now he was trying to ignore his vibrating phone and Taylor at the same time. The only solution to this paternal problem was to go to his favourite bar and get drunk in the middle of the day.

And Taylor's ironic lyrics were not helping.

_Now we got problems. And I don't think we can solve them. You made a really deep cut. And, baby, now we got bad blood! Hey!_

Dorian drew up to the traffic lights. Next to him, in a coverable with the hood down, was a Qunari. The man looked over to him and raised an eyebrow. Dorian didn’t understand why he was staring at him.

Dorian realised then, that he was singing along to Taylor Swift’s "Bad Blood". Loudly and a bit too passionately.

Dorian felt his cheeks flush and fell silent. He tore his eyes away from the Qunari and looked at the road ahead of him. He knew the Qunari was still loking at him, still judging his musical tastes. Were these stupid bloody lights ever going to change?

In Dorian’s peripheral vision, he saw something moving. Dorian glanced over. It was the Qunari, waving. Dorian frowned. The Qunari made a gesture for him to wind down his window. Dorian ignored him and turned back to the road ahead. The movement kept going at the corner of Dorian’s eye. The Qunari was still miming the same thing. Dorian sighed and relented. He pushed the button and allowed his electric window to slide down.

‘Yes?’ Dorian called across the gap, waiting for the mockery to beginning.

The Qunari just smiled the broadest smile Dorian had ever seen, and cranked his own radio of full blast.

_'Cause, baby, now we got bad blood. You know it used to be mad love. So take a look what you've done. 'Cause, baby, now we got bad blood. Hey!_

The Qunari in the convertible was singing along at the top of his lungs. He had a good voice, but he seemed to think you could replace pitch with volume. All the while he was pointing at Dorian and nodding with encouragement.

Dorian understood what the Qunari wanted now.

He wanted Dorian to sing along.

Dorian shook his head.

The Qunari nodded more insistently, dancing a little in his seat. Dorian tried so hard not to smile at that. The guy seemed to have no shame.

Dorian bowed his head for a moment and then caved.

_'Cause, baby, now we got bad blood. You know it used to be mad love. So take a look what you've done. 'Cause, baby, now we got bad blood. Hey!_

Dorian and the Qunari harmonised well. Very well, considering neither of them fit into Talyor Swift’s vocal range. The Qunari looked delighted, and that just spurred Dorian on.

_Now we got problems. And I don't think we can solve them. You made a really deep cut. And, baby, now we got bad blood! Hey!_

A car-horn blared behind Dorian. He looked up and realised the light was green. Throwing a sheepish smile at the Qunari, he put his foot on the accelerator and drove on. In his review mirror, Dorian saw the Qunari give a triumphant fist pump.

Dorian’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

He still needed that drink.

 

Dorian had just placed his order and sat himself onto the bar-stool when he heard it. Taylor Swift’s voice was rolling through the speakers again. Dorian tried not to groan. How many times could they play the same song in one day. Let alone a song that was eternally linked with an embarrassing memory.

The bartender slipped Dorian his drink and Dorian nodded thanks.

‘Any chance we can change the radio station?’ Dorian asked.

A hand landed on Dorian shoulder.

‘What? You’re going to turn it over when they’ve just started playing out song?’

Dorian stiffened. Slowly he looked up at the man who was gripping his shoulder. And up. And up.

‘What are the odds?’ asked the Qunari.

Dorian swore under his breath and downed his drink. He put some cash on the bar and slid off his stool.

‘Hey, where are you going?’ asked the Qunari, frowning a little.

‘Oh, just to find somewhere quite where I can die in peace.’ Dorian said. He couldn’t seem to meet the Qunari’s eye.

‘Oh? Could I buy you a drink first?’ The Qunari asked. Dorian stopped.

‘Why?’ He couldn’t stop himself sounding suspicious.

‘Usually people don’t join in when I try to get them to sing along. I think most guys are put-off by the tats and the horns.’ 

The Qunari sat on the barstool beside the one Dorian had been sitting on. ‘And anyway, you were already singing my jam. I reckon both of those things deserve a drink.’

‘Your "jam"?’ Dorian asked. ‘Do people say the word "jam" like that anymore? Have I fallen into a time-warp and ended up back in the 90s.’

‘C’mon. I promise I won’t bite.’ The Qunari winked in spite of only having one eye. ‘Unless you ask.’

Dorian tried to stop himself from smiling at that. He did. Honest. The Qunari patted Dorian’s empty barstool.

‘Alright.’ Dorian said sitting back down. ‘Just one.’

The Qunari grinned and stuck out a hand.

‘I’m The Iron Bull.’

Dorian took his hand and shook it. ‘Dorian Pavus.’

‘Nice to meet you. Where have you been?’

Dorian narrowed his eyes.

‘No.’

‘I could show you incredible things-’

‘ _No_ -‘

‘Magic, madness, heaven, sin-’

‘I am not drunk enough for this.’


End file.
